The present invention generally relates to body support devices and more particularly, to single legged body support systems for use by fisherman and other outdoor enthusiasts.
Portable and collapsible seating devices have been heretofore proposed for the problem of providing a seating devices for the many occasions where outdoor seating is not available, such as during fishing, outdoor gatherings, and sporting events among others. For example, some activities, such as wade fishing may entail a fisherman standing outside for hours without being able to sit down and without a structure to lean on for support. This lack of seating or support structures can often result in undesirable fatigue and/or back pain among other problems.
Several solutions for such outdoor seating have heretofore been provided such as the portable and collapsible seat as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,896, the single-legged chair as described as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,839, the portable stool as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,638, and the portable seat as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,522. Unfortunately, all of the portable seat and/or support devices heretofore proposed suffer from one or more disadvantages including not being suitable for use during certain fishing activities such as wade fishing. In particular, many of the conventional seat/support devices are not capable of resisting the highly corrosive salt water environments inherent in many fishing locations. Further, many of the conventional devices are not buoyant and consequently, would sink in the water if released. Often, the conventional devices lack a strap to prevent the device from being separated from the user. Additionally, conventional devices suffer from a number of other disadvantages such as being incapable of simultaneously used as a storage device.
In some cases, it may be desirable for a person to drag a support device along with the person as the person moves about. Examples of activities with such a need are golf spectators who stay in a spot for a period of time before moving to the next golf hole or during fishing where a fisherman may fish in one spot for a period of time before moving on to another spot.
Other disadvantages of the prior art include a lack of comfort due in part to too small a seat size and lack of portability of the support device, including the inability to easily carry the device due to weight and/or physical configuration of the device.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a support device upon which users may lean that addresses one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art.